I have entered the final week of the Wim Hof Method Classic 10-week course. By the calendar, I am actually on my 12th week, plus a week of the mini-course... but by no means am I disappointed in the results, even if they take me longer to accomplish (#autoimmunedisease . #takeYOtime .) I wrote from the half-way point in Cold Luv 4 Life: Pt 1, and to wrap it up, which is to say, to tell how the Wim Hof course changed me as a person and as an autoimmune disease sufferer in just ten weeks, requires that any revelation exists on a continuum as I carry the method into the future. First of all, the fact that I have learned to be drawn to the cold, and to generate more heat in it naturally, are game-changers in how I spend my time in the winter. This means more fresh air and sunlight, which supports a calmer, happier state of mind. On how the method has changed me physically and mentally, it has given me back a form of energy that I wasn’t sure I could produce anymore. Having gone through a rough period that lasted about 5 years, I had come to that place of “adaptation” that I’m sure many chronic disease sufferers do, where you think, “well, things are fucked and this is the new normal, which is far below previous standards, but I must learn to accept that”. Of course, not everything material can be “fixed”, and that is a very real thing in life... but I have gone from needing 11 hours of sleep/night and still waking up tired, to 9 and waking up alert. I have noticed far less bloating, energy fluctuation, and overall pain. I have been able to pinpoint more subtle physical anomalies, particularly through the breath work, that are leading me to rehab pelvic floor and osteopathic issues related to my 14-year old surgical intervention and scar tissue. It feels like my body’s constant over-reactions were quieted down enough so that I could listen to deeper, or more subtle messages. I have never enjoyed meditation unless it existed within movement, but now I look forward to my seated meditation. I notice gains in my athletic performance, better balance, better recovery times, less nagging from old injuries. I find moments to incorporate the WHM style of breathing into my warm-ups and walks, and I am happy knowing that I have this to rely on, that cold showers will always give me a boost, and that there's a world’s worth of progress to be had, as much as I can commit to. In gratitude,Lion or Fox